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I'm afraid I can't face the pain of labor. Help!

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I'm pregnant for the first time and I'm afraid I won't be able to stand the pain of labor. My husband tries to reassure me, but he seems scared, too. What can we do to stop worrying and feel more confident about delivering our baby?

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At your last appointment, your OB will do an ultrasound and he will make sure the baby is not too big. If he/she has any concerns he will suggest or even demand C-section. He will not put you at risk! If you are afraid of the pains, it is OK to get epidural! Do your research and make your own decision whether you want epidural or not. If you have a good OB and trust him, there is nothing to worry about. If you don't have a good OB - change him!!! Even if it is late in the pregnancy.
Wish you luck and an easy birth! And remember that as soon as you see your newborn you will immediately forget any pains you just experienced and will be ready to have another one..

Don't stress too much about the "pain" of labor. Yes, it hurts and it isn't like anything else you've ever experienced, but it also isn't THAT big of a deal. If it was "horrible" then everyone would only have one child, right? My husband and I basically had a natural delivery with our daughter. I did receive some Stadol about an hour and a half before our daughter was born, but quickly told them to get it out of me. It made everything look fuzzy which makes it very difficult to focus on an object, to say the least! I do not recommend it and have talked to other women who said the same, but do what works best for you. Anyway, I just took it one contraction at a time and focused on what was happening. A guy that I worked with had told me that when they bring in the little bed w/ warming lights for the baby you're getting close to the end. I was so glad to know that because I was beginning to get tired when they brought it in and that gave me the extra push I needed to keep going. Also, we had a mirror placed at the end of the bed so I could see the baby's progress. That also helped me to keep going because I could see for myself that the end was near. As far as dealing with labor pain goes, I HIGHLY recommend taking a hot shower. I stood in the shower with the water hitting my back at our home before going to the hospital and couldn't even feel the contractions! In the 30-45 minutes that I was in there, they moved from 7 to 4 minutes apart and I think it was because I was so relaxed. By the time we got to the hospital, they were 2.5 minutes apart and our daughter was born 2.5 to 3 hours later. Basically, do your research so you know your options for pain management, discuss them with your doctor, and decide on a plan that you would like to do. Tell your birthing partner too so he/she knows and can help you remain strong and stick to it unless you REALLY want to change your mind. My husband was my rock, even though the L&D nurse did most of the actual coaching. Also, keep it a birth "plan" and not a declaration. If you leave yourself some room to change your mind and handle things as they come up then you won't feel trapped into only going through labor one way. Our daughter is now 13 months old and I can't wait to do it again. That's it! Good luck to all of you! The memory of labor quickly fades when you hold that beautiful baby in your arms! This is my first posting and I hope my comments help.

When i got pregnant the first time i had twins so i was really scared and because i was only 22 i was quite naive to everything but it honestly wasn't that bad my midwife was lovely and my husband(then boyfriend) was there the whole time and it's honestly not as bad as all the stories you hear ! I am now pregnant with my 3rd little girl and i can't wait to see her !
Hope this helps

I m 12 wks preg n like all wud-b-moms scared abt d labor since its my first.Think abt those ladies who giv birth witout assistanc,cant afford a doc and r tribes bt go thru a huge pain and again dare to gt pregnant .So y to worry so much wen God Himself hs given us such miraculous bodies which bear pain nd gets fine on its own.I cant advise u gals bec i m first time myself but yes can GIVE U STRENGTH by saying BELIEVE YOUR BODY ,THE ALMIGHTY, AND FALL IN LOVE WIT UR BABY WHO U HAV NEVER SEEN. See U became pregnant keeping in mind that you ll tak all the pains for ur child then y nt this pain of just a few hours???? To be logical friends,we wer free fm that irritating pain of menstrual cycle for the whole 9months so obviously v hav to bear it at one shot .I do admit our pregnancy is full of uneasiness,nausea,back aches and much more but gals think about those who want all dis but they cant. So take it as a God gift n dream abt wen u ll gt d most precious gift of ur life,UR LITTLE ANGEL.

Go to a childbirth class if you can. It was helpful for me and I went 100% naturally and right after I realized it was not as bad as I had worried. Your best bet is to stay calm, focused, and breath. I think my eyes were closed the entire time and no one was in my room other than my hubby and my midwife. They also had a tub in my hospital room and that heat really works wonders for dulling the pain. Unless you are in labor for hours on end or maybe have an induction, it should be tolerable. Remember this is natural and what our bodies were made for, women have done it med-free for thousands of years. A warning, the worst part is "the ring of fire." It's the burning/tearing FEELING at the end when your little one's head is ready to push 100% out. Don't stall that feeling. Push your baby through as hard and fast as you can and I promise it will be over right then!

I am 37 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child. My first child is now 8 years old. I still remember the pain very well. From what I have experienced most women I know can take on the worst pain and hardest work loads in the world! For the ladies who are worried, you'll do great, trust me. It is painful but it goes by in such a blur with everything going on, before you know it, it's all done. But the best part is the result. You see that new baby and you just can't believe you did that! It gives you a new kind of confidence. My blessings and best wishes to all the moms-to-be!

Well think of it like this..you can't turn back now girl! I thought the same thing, I felt the same way..& I have no pain tolerance at all..but I got threw it..at 3 cm you can have an epidural, & its not bad, it doesn't hurt, it fells "poppy" kinda, like pop rocks, lol..it just feels funny, but trust me its all worth it in the end when you have your precious little baby! I promise! you'll be fine, you'll do great!! GOOD LUCK :)

This is the advice I give everyone. I have 3 children and all labors were long, over 15 hours, with back labor. What got me through was each time I had a pain, I said to myself that is one less to go, one more closer to the end.

You can realize everyone of us has those fears...just relax and accept that things may not go the way you planned or dreamed of but you will get thru it and have a beautiful new baby at the end:). Everyone I know has the fear of pooping, screaming, or some sort of embarrassment and many times it does not happen, and if it does, ull have something to laugh about later:) Be comfortable with who you are and know your desirable no matter what!

I think the biggest fear is the fear of the unknown. We all have to feel the pain in someway, yet many of us opt to do it again multiple times. I was so worried, but when my water broke I was smiling all the way to the hospital. Your excitement will get you through it. Contractions suck, there's no way around it but the reward at the end is more than worth a few hours of pain.

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